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Patented Nnv. I5, |898. J. H. G. SEALE. PNEUMATIC TIRE.

(Application led Dec. 29. 1897.1

(N0 Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Patented Nov. I5, |898.

J. H. G. SEALE.

PNEUMATIC TIRE.

Application tled Dec. 29, 1897.)

2 SheefS-Sheet 2.

lNo Model.)

A TTOHNE YS.

THE mima vzrins a, mm'uu'mo., WASHINGTON, n. c,

NiTEioY STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN HUGH GILBERT SEALE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PNEUMATIC TIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,278, dated November15, 1898.

Application lecl December 29,1897. Serial No. 664,376. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HUGH GILBERT SEALE, gentleman, a subject of theQueen of Great Britain, residing at 14 Gloucester road, Peckham, London,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in orRelating to Pneumatic Tires, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object improvements in or relating topneumatic tires for the wheels of cycles or other vehicles.

According to my present invention I arrange and use a number ofair-tubes within any suitable cover or wrapper or outer tube or envelopsecured to or in position on the rim (which may be of any suitable shapeor formation) in any suitable manner, such air-tubes being each verymuch shorter in length than the circumference of the wheel and arrangedand adapted to overlap orbreak joint with one another, so as to form twocomplete systems of air-tubes around the rim,

each such tube being provided with a separate and independent air-valveof any suitable character, such as those at present in common use, sothat each such tube is adapted to be inflated independently of the otheror others.

In carrying out my present invention Il insert a sufficient number ofthese short tubes (which are each separately covered with a suitablefabric-such as cotton cloth, canvas, or silk-or otherwise protected orreinforced, such covering being advantageously of larger dimensions indiameter than the utmost extent to which the air-tubes will be inflatedwhen the latter are in position on the rim and inflated under the outercover or wrapper forming the tread of the tire, while the independentcovering of each short tube is inextensible longitudinally-that is tosay, each such bag or independent covering is formed of a material, suchas cotton cloth or canvas or silk fabric, which will not be extensiblebeyond a certain point len gthwise-or same may be quite inextensiblelengthwise, so as thereby to prevent the ends of said short tube beingburst or blown off) to completely encircle the wheel in such wise thatthese tubes lie double (or even treble or more, if desired) all aroundthe wheel. I now inflate certain of the tubes, advantageously theoutside ring of tubes, so as to form a complete series of aircushionsall around the rim, and when these inflated tubes are the outside ringof tubes the non-inated inner ring of tubes are compressed between theinflated tubes and the rim, or vice versa where the inner ring of tubesor any of them is inflated. If now a puncture of one of the shortinflated tubes takes place, it is only necessary to then inflate thespare short tube or tubes overlapping or underlapping the puncturedtube, and the complete pneumatic tire is restored.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of therim of a wheel having my present improvements applied thereto, the shorttubes being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a local longitudinalsectional view on a greatly enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionalview on line 3 3, Fig. 2, but on a still larger scale, showing theoutside tube inflated and the inside tube connpressed between saidinflated tube and the rim. Fig. Il is a similar view to Fig; 3, onlyshowing the outside tube deflated and the inside tube inflated, and theouter tube being thereby compressed between said inside tube and thedetachable outer cover or wrapper Z). Fig. 5 is la part View of one ofthe short tubes, showing said tube in its bag or casing of ineXtensiblematerial. Fig. 6 is a local longitudinal sectional View of aslightly-modified arrangement according to my present invention, theshort tubes being shown deflated or partially so.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.

a is the rim, and b the detachable outer cover or wrapper, each being ofany known or suitable construction and of any desired shape incross-section, neither of same forming any part separately of my presentinvention.

c o is the outer system or outside ring of short tubes.

d d is the inside system or inside ring of short tubes.

ff are the ordinary tire-valves, of any known or suitable construction,one such valvef being fitted in any suitable manner to each of the saidouter short tubes c and one such valve f to each of the inner shorttubes d, respectively.

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g is the bag or covering, of any suitable fabric, such as cotton cloth,Ate., as aforesaid, each short tube c being arranged-for instance, bylacing-inside a separate and independent bag or covering g, as shown inFig. 5, and similarly each short tube d is arranged within a separateand independent inextensible bag or covering g, so that the extent towhich any short tube c (or any short tube cl) can by inflation bedistended longitudinally is limited by its said bag or covering g, whileits extension diametrically is limited by the ordinary detachable outercovering or wrapper b, and thus the bursting of these short tubes byoverpressure in any direction is prevented.

The ends of the short tubes c c (and similarly the ends of the shorttubes d d) maybe beveled off, so that said ends will overlap or overlieone another, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, or the ends of said tubesmay be of any other desired form 0r shape. For instance, the adjoiningends may abut squarely, or the ends of said tubes may be formed as shownin Fig. 6.

On refer-ring to Figs. 1, 2, and 6 it will be seen that two completerings of tubes are arranged around the circumference of the wheel, theseindividual short tubes being ot' such a length that when inflated theends of said tubes will either abut closely together or, if desired,overlap, as shown in the drawings, while if the outer ring of tubes c beinflated they compress the deflated inner ring of tubes d tightlyagainst the rim a, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, while in the event ofpuncture or collapse of' one of these outer tubes c by pumping airthrough the valves f f' on each side of the valve f of said collapsedtube c the adjoining ends of said adjacent inner tubes d CZ are therebyinflated and completely iill the space formerly occupied by saidcollapsed tube c, which latter is thereby compressed by said inatedtubes d against the under side of the detachable outer cover or wrapper'b, as shown in Fig. 4L, or the whole of said inner ring of tubes cl maybe inflated, thus compressing the whole of said outer ring of tubes cbetween same and the under side of the wrapper Z9, as shown in Fig. 4.

In order to prevent or reduce the possibility of the inner tubes CZbeing punctured or injured by any sharp point which may enter andpuncture the outer tubes c when the latter are the inflated tubes, Iprovide each of the outer tubes c in or on the under side thereof with astrip or lining of non-puncturable or puncture-resisting material, suchas a strip of closely-woven silk fabric or other suitable material, andsame being on the under side alone of said tubes c consequently will inno way interfere with the resilience of said tubes c.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. 'lhe combinatiomwith the rim of a wheel and a detachable outer coveror Wrapper adapted to be secured to said rim by the infla tion of thetire, of an innerand an outer ring or series of short tubes, each ofthese two rings or series of tubes completely encircling the rim of thewheel, and a separate and in` dependent Valve for each such short tube,substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.

2. The combination,with the rim of a wheel and a detachable outer coveror wrapper adapted to be secured to said rim by the ination of the tire,of an inner and an outer se-' ries or ring of short tubes, each of thesetwo rings or series of tubes completely encircling the rim of the wheel,a separate bag or covering over each separate short tube, 'said bagbeing formed of a material inextensible in the direction of its length,and a separate valve for each said tube, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

3. The combination,with the rim of a wheel and a detachable outer coveror wrapper adapted to be secured to said rim by the inflation of thetire, of a series of short tubes arranged around the circumference ofsaid rim, said short tubes overlapping one another around the wheel, sothat a double system of tubes is formed entirely around thecircumference of the wheel, and a separate valve for each said tube,substantially as and for the purposes set forth and illustrated in thedrawings hereunto annexed.

JOHN HUGH GILBERT SEALE.

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